Obaa-san!
by Cloud1
Summary: Haruka and Michiru face their most annoying nightmare...
1. Default Chapter

Obaa-san!  
By Cloud  
sky@charmed.ph  
  
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Ok, so this is sort of a "comeback" fic for me... not that I'm an established fic writer, but I've had my share of fanfics before... cheesy as they were now that I think about it.   
  
Honestly, I've always wanted to write this fic during my Haruka/Michiru obsession marathon, but somehow I never got around to write it. So here it is! Be gentle on me, minna-sama, I am but a novice compared to your immortally good fic writers out there. :)  
  
Note: "obaa-san" means "grandmother" for those who don't know :)   
  
Same disclaimers apply. Sailormoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, and Kondansha Ltd. If you feel that homosexuality bothers you, stop right here. I wouldn't want to be blamed for infusing some psychological damage on 'em kids :)   
  
Flames are useless to you and to me; though it really is tempting to use for lighting my father's cigarettes.  
  
[ ] - author's side comments  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
  
"Are you ready, Michiru?" Haruka asked almost impatiently, digging for her car keys in her pocket.  
  
The lady in question was skillfully securing her braid in front of the living room mirror. "Yes, dear," she answered. "Oh, by the way, did you put my satchel along with the other bags already?"  
  
"You mean with the other two large backpacks that I threw in for you? Yes, I did."  
  
Michiru spun around in her heels, her eyebrow raised. "Well excuse me for being a stylish packer."  
  
A huge sweatdrop loomed heavily on Haruka's head. She mentally slapped her forehead as thoughts of prejudice against women's over-obsession with cosmetics instantaneously swamped her mind.   
  
"Michiru, we're only gonna be gone for two weeks!" she exasperatingly proclaimed. "There won't be any people within a two-and-a-half-mile radius and I'm sure that you could cause any lonely mountain idiot to fall in love with you without having to accessorize. You could do that even if you ran across the mountainside wrapped in a multi-layers of wool!"  
  
Haruka's childish persistence greatly amused her partner. To her, this was how Haruka always was-putting up at least a little argument with everything, however trivial the matter may be.   
  
The petite woman gently brushed away a fallen lock of hair from her forehead and crept seductively over to Haruka. "You think so?"   
  
"You think so?" Haruka mocked in a strangely high-pitched voice [is she capable of that?] and made a face as she welcomed Michiru into her arms. "Of course, however, I prefer the opposite." She added.  
  
"There's no complaint in that." Michiru couldn't help but laugh. She knew Haruka all too well. Standing up on tiptoes, she reached up and planted a long, lingering kiss on Haruka's lips, enticing a soft moan from the taller woman.   
  
This was one of those mornings that Haruka wished would never end. Her heart and soul screamed for Time to stop-suspending any immediate obligation they had to attend to and be how they are at that exact quixotic moment, not caring if the whole world moved on without them.  
  
"I see promising weeks up ahead." Haruka remarked.  
  
"There won't be anything promising to start with if we don't get going, Haruka. It's a long nine-hour drive to that house my family owns. Look how late we are already." Michiru glanced at her watch, which read 10:30 am.  
  
"Alright, alright!" Haruka raised her hands in helpless surrender. 'Two weeks alone, two weeks alone, two weeks alone... no need to rush...' she kept repeating the mantra inside her head.  
  
All of a sudden, Hotaru, wrapped in her quilt, came darting through the doorway followed seconds later by a much slower-paced Setsuna who undoubtedly looked fresh from her bed.  
  
"Haruka-papa!!!!!!"   
  
"Whoa!" Haruka almost toppled forward as Hotaru clung to waist, somewhat lost in a wave of giggles. "Aren't you the spunky one this morning?"  
  
Hotaru beamed with joy. "Let's just say I'm happy to see you, Haruka-papa." She said. "Have you been sneaking chocolate bars in her room again, Pu?"  
  
"Beats me." Replied the older woman and shrugged, feigning innocence. Haruka's eyebrow twitched.  
  
Michiru crouched down to Hotaru's eye level and smiled. "Angel, are you sure you'll be ok while we're gone?"   
  
"Of course! I'm a big girl now, mama. I can take care of myself!" She exclaimed.  
  
"How about you, Setsuna?" Michiru caught the dark-haired woman yawning heartily.   
  
"I'll be fine. I'm just trying to get that database fixed A.S.A.P. so that I can have the whole week completely off. No need to worry."   
  
"Oh, how I wish you two would come with us!"   
  
"It's ok, Michiru-mama. You and Haruka-papa need a vacation; you've been really busy for a long time!" the little girl beamed at her two parents.  
  
The pair had been quite a wreck for the past couple of months. Michiru had just finished the third album of her career. It kept her in the recording studio until wee hours in the morning, working with her guest musicians on the scores, trying to infuse classical juice with contemporary rhythms. But it was as if her labor over those damned scores weren't enough. To add serious insult to injury, she had to put up with the conductor who always threw a frustrating fit every time something was wrong with the recording.   
  
Haruka, on the other hand, had been busy with her racing career, making her way to the top for the season's finals. She could have chosen not to practice anymore, though-thanks to her inherent skill behind the wheel. But her need for speed could never have been satisfied if she didn't seriously burn rubber. After all, it had been a few years since her last race. Having numerous responsibilities as a parent didn't actually give her a chance to spend time on the track.   
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Hime-chan. Take care, alright?" Michiru placed a light kiss on her daughter's head and turned to Setsuna. "Keep her out of the China room." She said in a whisper.  
  
The older woman winked. "Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Big hug now so we can get going." Haruka said as she gathered the little bundle in her arms.  
  
"Uuummmm! I love you Haruka-papa!"  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Be a good girl, Pu." Haruka teased her friend as she passed her by the door. "Hime-chan!," the tall woman called out from the garage. "Keep a good eye on your Setsuna-mama, ne? She might fry her brains to a crisp on that computer again!"  
  
"Eeeeewwwww!!!" the little girl's face scrunched up in disgust.  
  
Setsuna mockingly put her arms on her hips and looked at Haruka in disbelief. "For your information, you're the one who's been burning the wheels off your car like mad for the past few months! I don't see any reason why I should be the one who has to be kept an eye on!"  
  
"Fine! I'll take care of my tires if that's gonna keep you happy!" Haruka called back, a sly grin nailed to her face.  
  
"Michiru! How in the world do you manage to keep up with this?!"   
  
The aqua-haired girl laughed, "It's a mystery even to me, Setsuna."  
  
"Let's just say there are a few things in this world that are best left unknown." Haruka shrugged, unlocking Michiru's door, then rounding her car to the driver's side.  
  
The car started almost instantly, its perfectly tuned engine worked its magic as it gave off a very soft purr. With all the necessary precautions taken care of, the aircon on and the radio turned up, they were off.  
  
"Take care you two!" Setsuna called, while she and Hotaru waved to the departing vehicle.  
  
  
********************  
  
A few minutes out into the highway, Haruka noticed the distant expression on Michiru's face. But before she could call her attention, the younger woman snapped out of her reverie.  
  
"Haruka,"  
  
"Un?"  
  
"I feel something."  
  
"Something? Like what?"  
  
"Like..." the green-haired girl paused, thinking. "Like something or someone is waiting for us up there in that house."  
  
"God, they never give us a break, do they?"   
  
"No, no, it's not evil."  
  
"How are you so sure?"  
  
"You know I'm rarely wrong." Michiru said as-a-matter-of-factly.  
  
"I hope this isn't one of those rare times." Haruka flashed her partner a lopsided grin before turning her attention back on the road.  
  
'You and me both.'  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
The landscape was nothing short of immaculate. The structure was located on a valley surrounded by sweet smelling pine trees. Its huge, crystal-clear windows faced northwest, giving the sunset a picturesque angle atop pine-covered mountain ranges in the distance. Below was a lake of clear blue-green waters, which at a distance formed a river that snaked its way through the nearby forest.  
  
The house itself was a work of art. The structure was done in an almost Spanish motif (somewhat rare in that part of Japan); it was elevated and no less huge, and the exterior was made of a combination of pinewood and brick, though the latter comprised most of it. At first glance, the whole thing looked like it was a few houses put together with a small, octagonal tower as its crowning glory.   
  
Elegant metalwork could also be noticed as it laced every corner possible-holding up flowerpots, comprised the railings of the rather wide balcony, and accentuated the windows; even holding up the rain pipes. Stained glass windows could also be seen littered around the sides of the house.   
  
  
*********************  
  
  
It was almost nightfall when a yellow sports car slowed to a stop on the red-bricked driveway at the back of the house. The engine was turned off and two people stepped out of the vehicle.  
  
"This is a house?! It's more like a mansion!" Haruka had to pick up her jaw from the ground just staring at it.  
  
"I have to admit, my parents overdid it a little." The smaller woman sheepishly remarked.  
  
Haruka couldn't believe her ears. "A little? Where did that understatement come from?" she grabbed a backpack and Michiru's satchel from the backseat and handed those to their owner. Then she got the two remaining bags out, and hung one on each shoulder.  
  
The other woman laughed. "It's not like we can't afford something like this of our own."  
  
"Well yeah, but not this big."   
  
"Well I'd have to admit that we rather have a huge family so they thought they needed a place big enough to accommodate us all when we have reunions."  
  
Haruka heaved a sigh. "Thank god there's only the four of us."  
  
'You haven't seen the orchard, the ampitheatre, and the garden yet...' Michiru mused.  
  
After getting all the bags from the car, Michiru led Haruka up familiar brick steps that led to the porch. No lights were on, but the light of the full moon illuminated enough for them to see where they were going. Once there, they were faced with two doors. The smaller woman guided Haruka to the one on the left before turning around with her finger on her chin, thinking.  
  
"I wonder if they still keep the key in here." Michiru approached a pot near the steps they came from and tried to tip it a little to see if there was any key under it. True enough, there it was.  
  
"Hah!" she said triumphantly, holding up her prize. "After all these years they never found a better place to hide it."  
  
"Well it's better than under the doormat." Haruka remarked, remembering one incident when the four of them went out to dinner and left the key under their doormat, and came back home with their house in a total state of disarray. Surprisingly, the divisive key was still in the keyhole. The thief knew where to look, it seemed.  
  
'Remind me never again to trust that doormat for anything.' Haruka sternly said to Michiru while the police were all over the place conducting their investigation. Fortunately for them, the thief got away with only minor possessions like a whole jar of loose change they had in the kitchen, a few refrigerator door magnets, some of Setsuna's CD's, and a couple of priceless porcelain figurines from the living room. He was smart, but not smart enough to know what 'real' valuables are.  
  
"Well, shall we?" Michiru asked, slinging her satchel over her shoulder.  
  
All of a sudden, much to the two women's ultimate shock, the door opened even before Michiru could put in the key inside its keyhole.  
  
"Holy shhhh..." Haruka jumped back in surprise. Michiru was too pale to even form coherent thoughts inside her head.  
  
The door creaked open inch by inch as the two women held their breaths. They managed to look at each other, looking for some kind of reassurance. Finally, with the door open all the way, within the partial darkness came a voice.  
  
"Welcome home, Michiru."  
  
Michiru almost fainted.   
  
But wait. "I know that voice..." her eyes narrowed to slits as she peered through the darkness.  
  
"There has to be a switch here somewhere." Haruka, after gathering back her wits, dared to fumble the sidewalls for a light button.   
  
Haruka almost passed out cold when a clammy hand grabbed hers.  
  
"GYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" she shrieked.  
  
The tall woman hastily retrieved her hand back, stumbling backwards, almost loosing her balance. She was shaking so hard it could have measured a 7.5 on the Richter scale. "Michiru, I think your gut feeling this morning was right..."  
  
"I'm beginning to think the same!" she replied, clutching on Haruka's jacket, eyes wide and trembling as well.  
  
Much to their surprise and partial relief, a small light bulb turned on and lit the small entryway. There inside stood the one person Michiru suspected, but never expected to be there.  
  
"Konbanwa." The person bowed low and smiled at them.  
  
Michiru freaked out.   
  
"OBAA-SAN?!?"  
  
  
  
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End Chapter 1  
To be continued...   
  
  
Well, there it is! Please tell me what you think :)   



	2. Chapter 2

Obaa-san  
By Cloud  
sky@charmed.ph  
  
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No rules changed. Enjoy!  
  
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Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"OBAA-SAN?!?" Haruka echoed. "What's she doing here?!"  
  
"Haruka!" Michiru snapped.  
  
"Gomen." She shrank behind her partner when she realized her impudence.  
  
The old woman came forward. She had a slender physique, a little taller than Michiru. Her dark greenish-silvery hair was pulled back in a low bun, not even a single strand escaping from its pins.   
  
Her face was extraordinarily pleasant; laugh lines were very much evident at the corner of her hazy blue eyes and when she smiled, it emphasized more so, youthfully lighting up her whole face. She was wearing a kimono of olive green cloth with gold and auburn leaves, the color of autumn that somehow greatly complimented her hair.  
  
There was also this air of dignity and poise in her that was impossible to overlook. She wasn't just some old, hunchbacked woman. She stood straight and exuberant, not looking like her old age at all.  
  
It suddenly struck Haruka that this old lady must have looked exactly like Michiru when she was younger. She was enthralled at the idea. 'But that doesn't mean you didn't ruin my vacation alone with Michiru... and making me almost wet my pants.' She scowled mentally.   
  
"Gomen, ne? Did I give you a scare?" a sincere smile spread across her face.  
  
Michiru bowed in respect. Seeing that Haruka wasn't following suit, she lightly slapped Haruka's knee to signal the blonde to do the same.   
  
"Konbanwa, obaa-san." Michiru greeted. "Ara, this is so unexpected! Why this sudden visit?" Michiru asked. Joy mixed with a little hesitation were apparent in her tone.  
  
"Well," she started. "Your parents told me that you would be spending a week here and they asked me to keep an eye on you. And since I live in town not far from here, I told them that I would be more than happy to see my granddaughter again after such a long time!" Michiru's grandmother extended her arms forward and wrapped them around Michiru. The latter returned the gesture.   
  
'Great, there goes our vacation..." Haruka thought.  
  
"Yes, it has been quite a while, hasn't it?"   
  
"Yes, and what a long while it has been." The old woman said stealing a glance at Haruka who was caught off-guard. She tried to smile her best, but she couldn't ignore the imminent sweat drop on her brow.   
  
"And who might this handsome delight be?"  
  
Haruka and Michiru blushed. "Ara, obaa-san... this is Tenoh Haruka," Michiru stammered. "Sh... er, HE is a friend of mine since high school." She stopped, hoping that her grandmother didn't notice the slip she made. After all, it wouldn't be wise to blurt out her partner's real identity if she looked like... well, Haruka.   
  
"Haruka, this is my grandmother, Kaioh Shiroko." Michiru introduced.  
  
"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Shiroko-san." Haruka bowed as politely as she could. Shiroko returned the gesture. "The pleasure is all mine, Haruka-kun. Ma! Shall we all go in? I'm sure you two are exhausted!" the old woman announced after the formalities were over. "Dinner will be ready in a while, why don't you go up and change, ne?"  
  
The three women filed inside the house as the door gently closed behind them.  
  
  
  
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End Chapter 2  
To be continued...  
  
  
I know it's short... sorry about that! On to chapter 3!  



	3. Chapter 3

Obaa-san!  
By Cloud  
sky@charmed.ph  
  
  
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05/17/01 -- oh my god... And so it flowed out like the River Nile, feeding the mighty fields of Egypt...   
  
I'm going insane... I finally finished Chapter 3!!!   
  
Same as before, no rules changed. So sue me.  
  
Enjoy! :)  
  
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Chapter 3  
  
  
  
Shiroko led the two women to the second floor where a rather large, spacious room would be their sleeping quarters. There were two beds with a side table in between, a set of cabinets, a full-length mirror, a couch, and a television set near the wall-to-wall bay window. There was also a huge pastel painting of butterflies on the wall above the bed. Pin lights gave off a gallery-like atmosphere.  
  
The ceiling was also not to be overlooked. It was high with a skylight entrenched, and crisscrossed by wooden logs, much like that of a cabin's and securely bound together by thick, abaca* ropes.  
  
The room itself practically covered half the floor area, save for the other half where the kitchen, the dinning room, and another room was located. And in between these rooms was the stairway to the tower. [Confusing, isn't it? I'll try to explain later what house I'm talking about here. I've been there and I've been dying to come back ever since.]   
  
  
******************  
  
  
After changing into comfortable clothes, Haruka and Michiru went to the dining room to eat.   
  
All throughout dinner, Haruka tried her very best not to fidget. Aside from not wanting to make a bad impression of herself in front of Shiroko-san, she didn't want her nervousness--and at some point, irritation--to be too apparent either, as she had every reason to be. After all, she never saw this coming; she wasn't bloody expecting somebody to intrude on their vacation, let alone one of Michiru's much avoided kin! She hasn't even met her parents yet! Not like she wanted to, but sometime or another, she would have to face the tempest that is Michiru's mother. Not like it's going to be that easy. At all.   
  
As she sat there eating her dinner as quietly as possible, she couldn't help but expect the worse. With that proximity to the old woman, who knows what kind of prying questions she could aim at her and expose her life with Michiru shamelessly.   
  
'Damn! Damn damn damn damn damn!' was all she could say inwardly. She fought with daimons day in and day out with the risk of getting killed and get out alive without even breaking a sweat. She could withstand the glare of Medusa as far as she was concerned, but now a sweet, little old lady has unnerved her to the core.  
  
The charade helped, though. Not like Haruka wanted to admit it, but it did. Everybody thought she was a man anyway so pushing it a little bit more wouldn't hurt. Besides, with Shiroko under the impression that she was a man, it was much easier for her to answer the prying questions the old woman threw at her.   
  
But everybody knows that she has trouble confessing. [Don't we? :)]  
  
"How long have you been with my granddaughter?"  
"Erm well... together in what sense?"  
  
"Do you plan to have a family some day?"  
"We already have... erm... ahem ugh, I guess..."  
  
"And children? How many do you plan to have?"  
"...one... two?"  
  
"Don't you think Michiru would be a favorable wife?"  
"Definitely. shy smile"  
  
"Why Michiru, I think you've snagged yourself an ideal husband!"  
'Husband?!' sweatdrop  
  
"You haven't consummated anything now, have you?"  
choke choke  
  
'God, why have you forsaken me?!' the poor girl screamed inside her head. 'Somebody give me a friggin' mallet so that I can pound myself to death! Spare me this torment goddamnit!'  
  
Her self-control wavered, her sanity almost packed its bags and ran away, and her patience already left. The innocent, over-curious old woman had successfully deconstructed the iron pillar of pride that was Haruka without the old lady even knowing it. Had Michiru not been there to cushion some of Shiroko's innocent blows, the blonde might have embedded her space sword on the old woman's head.  
  
That had been Haruka's longest dinner. Ever. After it ended, she felt like she had been released from an eternity of psychological torment, from an old lady no less.   
  
The couple helped wash the dishes, clean and put everything in place. After that, they went straight to their room to rest.  
  
The moment they settled in, Haruka couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"You never told me your grandmother was going to babysit us!" Haruka snapped at Michiru in a forcibly hushed tone as she took off her black turtleneck sweater. It was a good thing that she brought it because it was thick enough to hide whatever she had to hide while Shiroko was in the house.  
  
"How in God's name should I know that?!" Michiru barked back.  
  
"Didn't your infamous gut feeling tell you this morning?"  
  
"You are not that dense, Haruka." Michiru remarked dryly, putting on her slippers.  
  
"Whatever," Haruka yielded, but not for long. "By the way, remind me again how I'm supposed to face your grandmother without having to worry if my chest is too big for a man?"  
  
Michiru was incensed and did a very un-Michiru like thing, she completely snapped. "What did you want me to say? 'Oh by the way, grandma, meet Tenoh Haruka. She's my girlfriend since high school and we've been screwing each other ever since and we already have our very own little daughter Hotaru!'"  
  
"And our very own lab rat, Setsuna."   
  
Both women stared at each other in silence before they burst out laughing.  
  
"If Setsuna was here, she'd send you back to Jurassic park." Michiru remarked.   
  
The aqua-haired woman stood up from the bed she sat on. "I'm sorry baby," Soft, fragrant arms wrapped around Haruka's waist. " I didn't know what else to say. She would have had freaked out otherwise. Besides, you always pass for a man even if you don't try."   
  
"Alright, alright..." The blonde gave in. "The least you could do is remind me again why I'm doing this for you."  
  
"Because..." Michiru's tender lips sought for Haruka's and instantly, both women were lost once again in their very own little world. Eager hands roamed around each other's bodies, caressing familiar curves and occasionally tugged at a cotton obstruction or two. One by one, items of clothing were haphazardly dropped on the floor. Nothing mattered anymore. Anything and everything around them were forgotten; everything stopped. For the both of them, nothing existed except for each other, their passion, and that kiss.   
  
And that sudden incessant knocking on the door.   
  
"Gods," Michiru hastily broke off the kiss and fixed herself up, leaving Haruka in frustrated pieces.  
  
"Like I said, this is going to be a promising week for the both of us." Haruka muttered as she put her sweater back on.  
  
Michiru giggled. "You're so cute when you do that." She gave her partner another kiss before opening the door.   
  
"May I come in?" Shiroko chirped.  
  
"Hai, dozo."   
  
"I brought you extra blankets," the old woman said, handing Michiru the bundle.   
  
"Arigatou."  
  
The old woman turned to Haruka. "Ne, Haruka-san, can I ask a favor from you?"  
  
"Umm, well--"   
  
"I'm planning to go to the marketplace tomorrow morning, but I'm afraid that it's quite a long walk from here. Would you mind if I ask you to bring me there? That is of course if you're up to it."  
  
"No..." Haruka almost protested, but seeing the look on Michiru's face gave her no other choice. "...problem."  
  
Shiroko beamed. "Arigatou! Sa, oyasumi!"  
  
"Oyasumi, Obaa-san!" Michiru called back, closing the door after the old woman left.  
  
Haruka glowered at Michiru. "Look what you made me do!" she snapped.  
  
"Don't think I haven't noticed how much you've come to detest my grandmother in a matter of one night, Haruka." Michiru said nonchalantly.   
  
"And that's bad?"   
  
"I can't blame you."  
  
The green-haired goddess dismissed their conversation and lied down on the bed, stretching her arms out above her.   
  
"Aren't you going to join me?" she said, her tone a rich, soft, beguiling temptation. "This bed is so cold. I can't sleep on cold beds..." she asked the still fuming blonde as she turned to her side.  
  
At this, Haruka's angst faded away, leaving a sly grin on in its wake. Eventually, she yielded and accepted her partner's unspoken invitation.   
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
"Aww Michiru, stop that! It tickles!"  
  
"But I thought you're not ticklish..."  
  
"Around you I am!"  
  
"But don't you want me, Haruka?"  
  
"You know I do, Michi..."  
  
"Then you'll do whatever I tell you to..."  
  
"Depends..."  
  
"Haruka, please... come here... I need you..."  
  
"Michiru..."  
  
"Haruka..."  
  
"...Urmmmmffffffgh...ngork..."  
  
"Haruka?   
  
Silence.   
  
"Haruka?" The blue-eyed beauty nudged at the sleeping form on the bed.  
  
"Mishi... ggrrrhhhhmmmmffff..."   
  
"Haruka, wake up! You're taking obaa-san to the market, remember?" Michiru prodded, gently shaking the incoherent blonde to wakefulness.  
  
"...a basin?... why would you need a bassshhhiiinnnn..."  
  
"What are you talking about? Oh for god's sakes Haruka, wake up!" Michiru was becoming impatient. Taking the pillow on her side of the bed, she held it up high and whacked Haruka on the head.  
  
The blonde screeched. "Hey, the f**k what was that for?!"   
  
"THAT was your wake up call. And this," the pillow hit Haruka again square on the head. "Is for putting up with that kind of language with me!"  
  
Haruka grumbled. "You'd swear too if you got hit on the head THAT hard!"  
  
"You wouldn't dare." Michiru challenged, arching one thin eyebrow.  
  
Haruka sat up. "Oh yeah?" With lightning-fast speed, she grabbed her pillow and gave Michiru a bash on the side of her pretty head, eliciting a shocked gasp from the smaller woman.  
  
"Why you!" Michiru cried out, lashing out at Haruka who swiftly dodged her aim.  
  
And so the battle began. Haruka's swift blows clashed with Michiru's slightly weaker but furious thwacks. Occasionally, they would successfully hit each other, straining the pillows stitches until it snapped and sent the pillow's feathery contents to the air and fall like rain around them.  
  
Four empty pillow covers, a sea of feathers, and two exhausted rivals later, Michiru found herself pinned down on the bed with Haruka looming over her.  
  
"Give up?" her captor mock-demanded.  
  
"Not for the world!"  
  
"What about for me?"  
  
Michiru thought for a while. "I'll think about it."  
  
"No fair!"   
  
Michiru laughed despite her exhaustion. "Haruka, aren't you forgetting something?"  
  
The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as she pondered. "I don't think so."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to cut your victory short, my love, but you promised obaa-san that you would take her to the marketplace this morning." Michiru's amusement intensified a notch higher when Haruka's expression changed from victorious to a deer caught in the headlights.  
  
"Shit!" Haruka exclaimed. She scrambled off the bed and ran to the bathroom, jeans in hand.  
  
"Great, now I'm in for a beating with a wooden spoon," Haruka grumbled to herself, half sarcastic, half frustrated. "I thought I came here to relax but what do I do? I become chauffer to Michiru's... er... um... well... UGH!" she stammered, not quite finding the appropriate words.   
  
After taking off her nightshirt, which she threw in the general direction of the clothes bin, and putting on her jeans, she realized that she had forgotten to grab her shirt.  
  
"This is just... PERFECT!"   
  
Frustrated, Haruka threw open the bathroom door, not even caring to wrap a towel around bare chest [after all, I'm very certain that Michiru wouldn't mind anyway :P]. But as she did so, instantaneously, another door opened and Shiroko peeked in.  
  
"Michiru, is Haruka-san alre-"  
  
"Damn it, where did I--EEEP!!!"  
  
Haruka shrieked, momentarily paralyzed on her spot. A flash of Michiru's horrified look sent her hurling back to the bathroom though, closing the door in haste just in time before Shiroko turned her attention to the blonde's direction.  
  
"Ara, is Haruka-san alright?"  
  
Michiru took a deep breath of relief and cleared her throat. "H-hai, obaa-san ahem h-he'll be ok. He got up on a bad start that's all."   
  
"Oh that's too bad! Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to take me to the market. I take it that he's no morning person..." Shiroko looked so forlorn.  
  
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Shiroko-san." Turning on her charms, Haruka came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe and smiled. "I woke up late and I just had to take that shower."  
  
Shiroko hesitated. "Gomen ne, Haruka-san? Maybe it was a bad idea after all."  
  
"Not at all, Shiroko-san. I'm the one who should be apologizing for my tardiness. I'll be out in a minute, ne?" Haruka's smile was from ear to ear. The old woman blushed.  
  
"Alright. I'll be in the kitchen." With that, she left the room.  
  
Haruka stood there smiling like an idiot while she waited for Shiroko's footsteps to fade before she spoke. "Excuse me for a minute, I have to unhinge my smile."* She said before swinging her jaw from side to side.  
  
Michiru heaved another sigh. "That was close."  
  
"Tell me about it!" she reaffirmed, taking off her robe.   
  
Suddenly, Michiru's laughter filled the entire room. "What on earth is that?!" she said, pointing at Haruka's chest.  
  
"Oh this?" she pointed to her chest. "It's half a roll of toilet paper." She replied sporting the white wrapping that bound her breasts tightly. "I couldn't go out in a bathrobe with my chest sticking out now can I?"  
  
"Brilliant!" Michiru commended her.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't want to get used to this." Haruka complained, putting on a blue shirt followed by her dark blue jacket with a drawstring hood.  
  
"Ma! I must get going before I get whacked up my gorgeous little head by a potentially lethal spatula." The tall blonde grabbed her keys and gave Michiru a deep kiss before sauntering out of the room to fetch Shiroko.  
  
"Haruka! Don't forget to buy toilet paper, ne? We might run out..." Michiru called, giggling.  
  
"That's not funny!!!"  
  
  
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End chapter 3  
To be continued...  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Obaa-san!  
By Cloud  
sky@charmed.ph  
  
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05/17/01 -- I am so drained...  
  
Same rules apply. So sue me. :)   
  
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Chapter 4  
  
  
And so, Haruka's internal battle continued. Four days into the first week, she had almost gone berserk because of Shiroko's unrelenting 'favors'. The old woman was always on her trail. Wherever she went, whatever she did, trust the old lady to suddenly appear out of nowhere and ask her if she was busy, and eventually talk her into running an errand in town or something as drastic like weeding the garden. She almost suspected that the old woman was up to something.   
  
But what? The mere thought of it bothered her. Did she miss something? Was there a big conspiracy behind it all? Or did this just have something to do with her being blonde?   
  
"You're paranoid, Haruka. I know my grandmother, she isn't like that." Michiru tried to comfort her partner.   
  
That afternoon, the pair had decided to walk around the house, partially to familiarize Haruka with every nook and cranny while the rest to just relax and enjoy their much desired quality time together.  
  
Michiru had taken her life-long partner around the orchard too, which Haruka found extremely beautiful. The place was a haven for orchids, roses, ivy, yellow bells, freesias, lilies, poinsettias, oak, and the proverbial sakura tree, which were littered sporadically within the area. Red-bricked arches graced the cobbled path that snaked its way through the coppice, creating the perfect image for a perfect romantic getaway.  
  
That was what Haruka thought before the image of Shiroko came crashing back into her consciousness once again.  
  
"...And I have this very strong urge to call her a pest, you know." Haruka frowned as she let her fingers dance ever so softly over the ivory keys of the grand piano.   
  
Michiru sighed. "I'm very sorry about that, Haruka. But I have to be honest, had it not been you who said that, I might have hit that person already. I love my grandmother very much, but like you... well, I've come to see how irritating she can be at times." The sea-maiden sighed as she sat beside Haruka on the piano bench.  
  
The pair had come to rest inside the small theatre that served as a performance hall inside the house. There was a stage, or course, where the grand piano was positioned. Behind it was a semi-circular wall of glass that peered out into the garden.  
  
There were no chairs in the audience area, but instead it was like one big dance floor, parqued and polished, where the audience could position themselves to their liking while somebody performed on stage. There were bleachers on the balcony though, to accommodate more people if there need be.  
  
Over all, it was a warm, comfortable place where anybody can sit down and get lost in his or her thoughts.  
  
"But planting beans isn't exactly my idea for a vacation, you know." Haruka complained. Her playing progressed into a crescendo, sharp and precise, perfectly mirroring her emotions while she played. Eventually, it later on died away to become soft, tinkling, teasing notes like dripping ice.  
  
"She's lonely, Haruka," Michiru explained. "Grandpapa died a few years back, my father seldom visits her, and she lives alone, by herself, way up here with nobody to take care of her. With that kind of life, who wouldn't yearn for companionship?"  
  
Loneliness... companionship... or a lack thereof... the words swirled around her head, taunting her. A pang of grief suddenly overtook her heart. Michiru had a point. After all, she herself was very well familiar with the feeling of lonesomeness.   
  
Before Michiru came, she was a lonely, abandoned soul fighting to live on her own. Her parent's death was not an easy matter to overcome. Since then, she couldn't depend on anybody else but herself. And most people always said that she couldn't do it, she couldn't do anything.   
  
They said she was young, she was blonde, and she was dumb. She was just trouble and she was just a girl.   
  
Hearing this, she changed her image: cut her hair to what it is now, chose to walk and talk and sometimes act like a man just to find herself a firm ground in a chauvinistic world in which she could plant her foundations, where she can reap the fruits of her toil and labor later on.   
  
With this in mind, her fierce passion to succeed was virtually her lifeline. Eventually, she proved them all wrong. She made it. She was famous, she was rich, she was hounded by media and frenzied fans wherever she went. Not one person within a distance wouldn't recognize that sandy blonde hair, those piercing green eyes, and that handsomely chiseled face to be that of the legendary Tenoh Haruka.  
  
She made it on her own. She was a survivor.   
  
But the loneliness was still there. Even when she reached the apex of her accomplishment, even if the sponsors or the pit crew or her fellow teammates, and especially not even her admirers that cheered for her, even then, there was nobody to share the real pride that she felt with. And nothing could ever match the anguish that spread throughout her being when she received her trophy, which, for her, signifies another victory over those who condemned her to be useless, but not over herself.  
  
Until Michiru came...  
  
"Haruka, are you alright?"  
  
Haruka felt Michiru's hand on her own. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.  
  
"Huh? Oh... I'm fine."   
  
"You spaced out."  
  
"I did? It's nothing, just wondering about... things."  
  
Michiru felt that she didn't have to pry further. She already felt Haruka's pain even before she acknowledged Haruka's distant stare. Their strong bond allowed them to understand each other even without saying how they felt. And that was no less than a blessing, mostly on Michiru's part because it permitted her to know what was going on inside her partner without having to wheedle it out of her, knowing Haruka's stubbornness when it came to personal matters.  
  
"Oh darling," Michiru wrapper her arms around Haruka. "As your teammates would say, 'chill!'"  
  
Michiru was rewarded with a chuckle. "They've been flirting around you too often. I didn't know those guys were brave enough to even come near you."  
  
"Are you jealous?" an eyebrow arched at Haruka.  
  
"No, I just can't allow you to look at anyone else but me!"   
  
"Why do I feel like I'm having a déjà vu?"  
  
Haruka zeroed in on Michiru, taking the smaller woman's lips with her own.   
  
  
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Seeing the lover's exchange of intimacies, someone somewhere quietly walked away, smiling.  
  
  
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Thursday night, the phone rang in Haruka and Michiru's home back in the outskirts of Tokyo.  
  
"Hai, moshi moshi?" Setsuna answered.  
  
"Good evening, miss." The caller greeted. "Would you happen to know if a tall, dark, and extremely sensual woman by the name of Setsuna Meioh is living in that house by the sea? You know, unusually captivating green hair, smoldering garnet eyes, and killer curves?"  
  
"Who the hell is this?" Setsuna barked.  
  
The caller answered nonchalantly. "I am everywhere. I am everything. I am watching you. Setsuna!"   
  
Setsuna's eyes were wide as saucers. "You better tell me who you are or I'll make sure that you will never see another sunrise!" she demanded menacingly, her grip tightening on the handset.  
  
"Setsuna... what's you're favorite scary movie?"  
  
Just as she was about to hang up and scream bloody murder, a recent memory came back to the green-haired woman, involving that one night when the four of them sat down and watched this particular movie...  
  
"Haruka!!! You IDIOT!!! What is wrong with you?!"  
  
"Damn! You should have heard yourself!" Haruka exclaimed, laughing her heart out.   
  
Setsuna grunted. "You are one SICK jerk! I really don't know why I put up with you! I really should have sent you back to the age of the dinosaurs!"  
  
"Aww, you wouldn't do that, Setsuna," Haruka taunted. "What would Hotaru think of you? Would you want her to think that you're a psycho-delusional-staff-wielding-time-travel-trigger-happy maniac who just sent her papa to the primordial soup of the universe?"  
  
Setsuna eyebrows shot up. "Emotional blackmail!"   
  
"I thought so, too." Haruka replied, grinning slyly. "Anyway, I just called to check how you guys are."  
  
"If that's what you call it..."  
  
'Since when did she get an attitude?!' Haruka thought to herself. "Fine, I apologize. You know I was only kidding."  
  
"Fine, I accept." Setsuna finally yielded. "We're fine, basically. Hotaru's at Usagi's place, I dropped her off this morning because I had to go to the office for an emergency meeting with the Head Officials."  
  
"That's nice. At least she gets to go out and enjoy herself. Can't say the same for you though."  
  
Setsuna sighed. "God tell me about it. What about you guys? How are you doing?"  
  
"Please, don't even get me started!" Haruka wailed into the receiver. "I'm not exactly doing what I was supposed to do."  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"Don't turn green on me now, Setsuna." Haruka remarked, knowing what Setsuna meant.   
  
"Gomen... go on. Tell me what's wrong."  
  
"Michiru's grandmother is here."  
  
"Her WHAT?!"  
  
"I said the same thing. Anyway, she's driving me nuts! She keeps asking these 'favors' from me and I end up being helplessly domesticated into her very own little poodle." The blonde twirled the telephone cord on one slender finger as she pouted.  
  
"That's awful... why is she there in the first place?"  
  
"Well," Haruka sighed. "Apparently Michiru's mother called her up and told her to keep an eye on us while we're here. DUH, I think she's keeping her eye more on ME than on Michiru."  
  
"And I'm 100% sure that you almost blew your top off."  
  
"What else would you had made me do? I'm not a saint like Michi."  
  
"Understatement of the millennia." Setsuna jeered, garnering a violent protest from the blonde. "Whatever, Haruka." Was all Setsuna could retort.  
  
"And to top it all off, Michiru introduced me to her grandmother as a man! Now I have to use half a roll of toilet paper just to bind my breasts to that it wouldn't bulge out too much than expected, which is NOT to bulge at all!" she continued to rant.  
  
Setsuna's laughter could have been heard a mile away. "You're not serious, are you?"  
  
"Serious as hell!" replied a frustrated Haruka. "Anyway, I gotta go. The 'ancient one' must be looking for me already with my bowl of Puppy Chow. I might miss my rations."  
  
Setsuna giggled. "Alright. Take care now, ne? And please try not to over-react?"  
  
"If that's what you call it... Give Hotaru a kiss for me and Michiru, ne?"  
  
"Sure thing. Oyasumi!"  
  
"'Yasumi."  
  
And with that, they hung up.  
  
  
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The same wise pools of hazy blue that watched Haruka in the hall watched her again as she lugged herself back to their bedroom. Somewhere in the comfort of the darkness, a faint glimmer sparked in those eyes as an idea struck.  
  
  
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End Chapter 4  
To be continued...  
  
  



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